Weeding attachment for cultivators



C. M. AND M. V. LONG.

WEEDI NG ATTACHMENT FOR CULTIVATORS.

APPLICATION man MAR. 13. 1920.

. 3 3 05 v T PatentedJune 8,1920.

UNTTE PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. LONG, OF KEOTA, IOWA, AND MARTIN V. LONG, OF ROCK ISLAND,

ILLINOIS.

WEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR 'CULTIVA'I'OR S.

ieaaoas.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed March 13, 1920. Serial No. 365,542.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES M. LONG and MARTIN V. LONG, citizens of theUnited Statearesiding at hleota and Rock Island, respectively, and inthe counties of Keokuk and Rock Island and States of Iowa and Illinois,have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in WeedingAttachments for Cultivators, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an attachment for Cultivators and an object ofthe invention is to'provide a device, particularly adapted for corncultivators for weeding or pushing or pulling down the weeds around andbetween the hills of corn and to hold the weeds close to the grounduntil the shovels of the cultivator cover the weeds.

Another object resides in the provision of an attachment comprisingcrossing or intersecting tensioned members yieldably mounted upon thebeams of the cultivator or depending parts thereof, so that the stalksof corn when grown strong enough may pass between and separate themembers whereby the lateral terminals of the members may scratch thehills about the base of the corn stalks, and push or tear down theweeds, and hold them down until the shovels cover them with the soil.

A further object embodies supporting means for the support ofintersecting or crossing elements, comprising sleeves mounted uponjournals of the supports, and to which springs or tensioned coils of theelements or members are mounted, there being lateral terminals orcrooked ends on the coils for engagement with slots of the sleeves,whereby the coils may be easily removed.

A still further object resides in the provision of guides or holders forthe tensioned elements or members, to hold them in place in combinationwith means for tightening up on the sleeves, to increase or decrease thetension of the coils of the elements.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forthis deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction ofthe invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes, the invention may be susceptible to changes, and the right to these changes isclaimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what isclaimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, aswill be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a rear view of a corn cultivator, showingthe improved attachment as applied,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the weeding attachment,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, through one of thesupports showing how the supporting sleeve of one of the elements ismounted and also showing the guide or holder for the element, and

Fig. i is an enlarged detail view of one of the crossing elements ormembers and its coil and showing the sleeve illustrating how theterminal of the coil is engaged in the slot of the sleeve to hold andtension'the element in position.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate depending supports, whichare carried by the cultivator. These supports depend from thecultivator, and terminate at their lower ends in right angle parts 3extending inwardly toward each other. The weeding element supportingfeet 4 are mounted upon the right angle inwardly extending parts 3 ofthe depending parts 1 and 2, and each of these feet is U-shaped asillustrated. Suitable bolts 5 pass up wardly through the right angleinwardly extending parts of the supports 1 and 2 and between theopposite sides of the feet. In other words, the supporting feet for theweeding elements straddle the bolts 5 there being washers 6 engaging theupper parts of the feet, whereby the nuts 7 which are threaded upon thebolts can engage therewith. By tightening up the nuts, the feet may beclamped securely between the washers and the upper faces of the rightangle inwardly extending parts 8. It is obvious that the feet may beadjusted relatively to the inwardly extending parts 3 in order to setthe weeding elements in different positions relatively to each other. Ifdesired, the nuts may be loosened, and the feet moved so that theweeding elements can be disposed out of operative positions, forinstance as shown in dotted lines in the plan view of Fig. 2. i

Elongated bolts 8 pass through the forward arched ends of the feet, andmounted upon these upstanding bolts are'sleeves 9, which may beconstructed in any suitable proportions and from any suitable material.

In fact, the sleeves may if so desired be out i from pieces of piping ofsuitable diameter. The sleeves, may be any diameter as may be found mostconvenient. when manufacturing the device for commercial purposes.Engagingthe upper ends of the sleeves 9 are washers 10, and -.which passover the upper ends of the upstanding bolts 8 there being nuts 11 theaded upon. the upper ends of said boltsadapted to be tightened downupon the washers to hold the sleeves in different set positions.Alsoengaging between the opposing sides of the feet are additional bolts12 having nuts 13 threaded thereon, there being washers 14E betweenjthenuts and the upper faces of the feet. Weeding elements 15 are provided,and each is in the for'mof an elongated rod, which may be any suitablelength in. diameter, constructed from any suitable rod material, andhaving one end formed into coils 16. The coils of said weeding elementsmay comprise any number of convolutions as may be found necessary. Inthe present instance, approximately five convolutions have been foundmost desirable The rear portions of the weeding elements cross orintersect each other, and terminate in lateral protruding weeding orscratching feet 17. These weeding or scratching feet are beyond theintersecting or crossing point of the arms of the weeding elements. Thecoils'of theweeding elements are mounted upon the sleevesas disclosed inthe drawings. The

- crooked ends 18, which engage slots 19 terminals of the coils of theweeding-elements are. provided with lateral lugs 01;:

the sleeves 9, thereby holding the coils position relatively to thesleeves. It is obvious that by removing the nuts 11 and the washers 10the coils of the weeding elements may be lifted from engagement with thesleeves. Guides or holders for the weeding elements are mounted upon thebolts 12, between their heads and the under parts of the feet 4. Theseguides or holders 20 are. inthe form of rods havin eyes 21 through whichthe bolts 12 pass. holders or guides engages one of the edges ofthelateral part 3 of the support, thereby A acting to reinforce theguide or holder in position. The other arm of the guide or holderterminates in a hook 22, which is engaged by the rearwardly. extendingpart of the weedingattachment. When mounting the weeding elements on thebolts 8, the sleeves are first engaged with the bolts, with the lateralterminals or crooked ends of the coils in engagement with the slots ofthe sleeves. The sleeves are then posine of the the hooks 22 as shown inthe rear view of Fig. 1. As shown the arms of the weeding elements arepositioned so that they intersect or cross, as shown in the plan view;

This weeding attachment is used in connection with a cultivator whenlast cultivating the hills about the basesof the corn, particularlywhen-the'stalks of the corn are strong enough to causethe weedingelements to separate. In the operation, the cultivator traverses thefield, so. that the corn stalks will pass between the weedingattachment. The stalks cause the elements to separate, the lateralterminals 17 acting to scratch the hills about the bases of the stalksof corn and .tear or pull down the weeds,

and hold them sutiiciently until they are covered by the shovels of thecultivator working the soil ofthe hills. In: other words, the shovelswork the hills and throw the'soil over the weeds. V Referring to thedrawings, it will be noted that there are two sets of weeding elements15 and 15?. The weeding elements 15 are designed to contact with andfell and drag down the thick and more stubborn weeds by engaging theirupper portions. This arrangement is designed to relieve some of thestrain upon the weeding elements 15, for the reason that the weeding orscratching feet 17 of the elements 15 are closer to the soil or ground.It will be noted that the feet of the weeding elements 15 areconsiderably higher above and positioned forwardly of the feet of theweeding elements 15 so as to contact with the weeds or the like higherup in order to more readily start them toward falling position. Whenvthis is the case, the scratching feet of the elements 15'will act tosubsequently engage the weeds and drag them toward the surface of theground. It isobvious that these elements and their supporting means maybe adjusted vertically, and arranged in other adjusted positions. Furthermore, one or the other of the sets of weeding elements may bedispensed with if so desired for it is obvious that it is not the aim ofthe present case to unnecessarily limit the protectionof thepresentinvention,

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and usefulis 1. In a weeding attachment for cultivators, the combination with acultivatorframe,of a depending support thereon, ad-

vjustable feet carried by the lower ends of pins, weeding elementshaving coils at their forward portions mounted upon the sleeves andfixed relatively thereto, holders or guides for thecultivating elementsand carried by the feet, and means for fitting the sleeves in positionin order to tension the rearwardly extending arms of the weedingelement.

2. In a Weeding attachment for cultivators, the combination with acultivator frame, of depending supports carried thereby, of rearwardlyextending intersecting yieldable weeding elements, said weeding elementshaving tensioning means on the supports, and means for regulating theten sion of the tensioning device, and holders for the weeding elements.

3. In a weeding attachment for cultivators, the combination with acultivator frame, of yieldable weeding elements extending rearwardly andcrossing each other, supporting feet having upstanding rotatablyadjustable devices, said weeding elements having tensioning meansmounted upon said devices fixed relatively thereto, means for holdingsaid devices in different adjusted positions for regulating the tensionof the tensioning means, and holders for the rearwardly extending armsof the weeding elements.

4-. In a weeding attachment for cultivators, the combination with acultivator frame, of weeding elements extending rearwardly toward andcrossing each other and provided with weeding feet, supports havingsleeve uprights, said sleeve uprights having slots, the forward ends ofthe weeding elements having tensioning coils provided with crooked endsengaging said slots for fixing the coils relatively to the sleeveuprights, means for holding the sleeve uprights in different adjustedrotated positions, and holders for the arms of the weeding elements, fortensioning the elements.

5. In a weeding attachment for cultivators, the combination with acultivator frame, of weeding elements extending rearwardly toward andcrossing each other, upright sleeves, supports therefor, means forholding the sleeves adjusted relative to the supports, said supportshaving guides to be engaged by the weeding elements, the support ends ofthe elements having tensioning means detachably connected to the sleevesbut fixed relatively thereto, whereby upon adjusting the sleeves thetensioning of the weeding elements may be increased or decreased.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

CHARLES M. LONG. MARTIN V. LONG.

